Clichéd
by Ridley The Dragon Rider
Summary: Yes, it is very over done, but I'm doing it anyway. When a weird witch-girl who calls herself Ridley summons everyone from Berk, along with a few dragons, to a strange room, she forces them to watch the past, present, and future. How will everyone react? Valka and Future!Hiccup may make an appearance later on.
1. Chapter 1

**Ridley: Yay! I read a few of these, and I liked them so much, and I just LOVE this movie, so I'm doing the ever cliché 'Watching the Movie' bit. I might bring Future!Hiccup and Valka in later. :) Enjoy**

**Dragon: If they enjoy this, which sane people do not.**

**Ridley: Dragon, do you want me to lock you in the Pit of Doom again?**

**Dragon: *shrinks back in fear* NO!**

**Ridley: Good, then shut up. Again, ENJOY!**

**Ridley: I do not own this, obviously.**

* * *

"**I SAID STOP THE FIGHT!"** Stoick yelled, whacking his hammer down upon the iron enclosure, which rattled the entire arena. Suddenly, there was a burst of white light, and the next thing the inhabitants of Berk knew, they were in a room with dark walls and floor. One of the walls was covered with what looked to be an enormous white sheet stretched across it, and there were… were those giant _pillows_ on the ground?

Everyone seemed incredibly confused, as they rightly should be. Hiccup looked around and his eyes widened when he saw Toothless sitting in the back of the dark room, surrounded by other dragons. He started to walk towards Hiccup, but Hiccup made a motion with his hands that clearly said, _'stay where you are'_.

Toothless did as he was told, but seemed very glum about it.

There was another flash of the white light, and everyone shielded his or her eyes. When the light faded, it revealed a teenage girl. She had long, curly red-blonde hair and blue eyes, and was wearing an odd assortment of clothing; trousers made of a course blue fabric, strange footwear that resembled the sandals that some of the Vikings had seen Romans wear, and a light green tunic of sorts, though it was missing the sleeves. She waved to the confused Vikings.

"Hello, there!" She said cheerfully. To everyone in the room, she sounded absolutely insane. Perhaps she was, to be in a room full of Vikings and dragons. "My name is Ridley, and I will be your host this evening."

"Host?" Stoick growled at her. "Host for _what_, exactly?"

Ridley giggled, and the Vikings exchanged looks. Yup, very much insane. "Well, you see, I am from the future, and-"

"The future?" Snotlout scoffed, crossing his arms across his chest, "Prove it."

Ridley rolled her eyes. "Um, I just brought your _entire village_ from your dragon training arena to a movie theatre, so does that work for ya?"

Snotlout glared at her. "No, it just proves that you're a witch. Let's burn her!" He shouted.

The strange girl rolled her eyes again and snapped her fingers. Snotlout was thrown onto a nearby pillow by an invisible source, and seemed to be stuck there. Ridley grinned. "Oops, my finger slipped." She deadpanned. Turning back to the rest of the villagers, who shrank back from her (they may be bad ass Vikings, but even _they_ weren't stupid enough to go up against a witch), and she continued to speak as if she had never been interrupted. "As I was saying, I am from the future. I brought you here to watch your past and future actions for my own amusement, before I wipe your memories and send you back to your one time. Any questions?"

A lone Viking raised his hand. Ridley pointed at him. "You, with the eye patch."

"Ah, yeah, why are there dragons over there?" He asked hesitantly. He did _not_ want to anger this witch.

Ridley grinned her maniac grin. "OOH, you noticed. Gold star for you!" A star-shaped gold sticker suddenly appeared in-between the Viking's eyes. "They are hear as my guests, and there is an enchantment on this room making it impossible for them to hut you, and vice versa. Yes, what is it?" She asked the last part wearily as the same Viking raised his hand again.

"What does 'vice versa' mean?"

"It means that you can't attack them either." She said.

The Viking nodded. "Alright, then."

Ridley smiled dangerously at them. "Take a seat," she said, motioning to the pillows with her hands. "I brought you all some bean bags instead of chairs. They're much cooler."

Hiccup sat down next to Astrid, relieved at the knowledge that know one was going to hurt Toothless.

Ridley disappeared, and so did all the light in the room, but her voice could still be heard as an image lit up on the white wall. "Enjoy the movie, folks!"

_**FADE IN:**_

_**EXT. NORTH SEA/VILLAGE - NIGHT**_

_**We skim above a dark, wild ocean. The camera turns toward a lone island, Berk. It is a gigantic shard of rock jutting straight out of the water.**_

**HICCUP (V.O.) This is Berk. It's twelve days North of hopeless, and a few degrees South of freezing to death. It's located solidly on the meridian of misery**_**.**_

Many people started when they realized that the voice now narrorating was Hiccups. Hiccup shrunk lower in his seat. He already didn't like what was happening.

_**The camera drifts over rolling hills to reveal a small village nestled on an outcropping of seamounts.**_

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) My village. In a word, sturdy. And it's been here for seven generations, but every single building is new.**

_**The camera drifts closer, circling.**_

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) We have fishing, hunting, and a charming view of the sunsets. The only problems are the pests. You see, most places have mice or**

**mosquitoes. We have...**

_**Sheep graze peacefully on a hillside. Suddenly one is snatched**_**.**

_**CUT TO:**_

_**INT. STOICK'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS**_

_**A door is pulled open... as a DRAGON swoops directly toward it, BLASTING FIRE. The door is SLAMMED. The fire shoots through the slats of wood, illuminating HICCUP, a gangly teenage Viking.**_

HICCUP

**...dragons.**

Snotlout decided that now was the perfect time to speak up. "Uh, we already _knew_ that, Fishbone." He said with a roll of his eyes. Astrid reached over to punch him in the thigh, and he yelped.

_**EXT. STOICK'S HOUSE**_

_**He reopens the sizzling door, as leaps off of the front porch. He weaves through the erupting mayhem as Vikings pour out of the buildings, ready for a fight.**_

_**More dragons swarm in, setting rooftops alight and hauling off sheep.**_

**HICCUP (V.O.)**

**Most people would leave. Not us. We're Vikings. We have stubbornness issues.**

Some of the Vikings shrugged and nodded at that last comment.

Vikings sound the alarm. Viking men and women pour out into the streets, axes in hand. ON HICCUP darting through alleys, staying under eaves, making his way through the battle.

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**

**My name's Hiccup. Great name, I know. But it's not the worst. Parents believe a hideous name will frighten off gnomes and trolls. Like our charming Viking demeanor wouldn't do that.**

Stoick glared at him. "There's nothing wrong with the name, boy," he growled. Hiccup flushed a little bit, but said nothing.

_**Dragons sweep back and forth, dodging axes and blasting the Vikings who throw them. A burly warrior gets tossed in an explosion, knocking Hiccup to the ground.**_

**VIKING (FIERCE) Arggghhhhh! (cheery, insane) Mornin'!**

The Viking in question chuckled a bit. "Tha's wha' 'appens when you 'ave one to many pints!" He chortled.

Some others laughed along side him, even one or two of the dragons.

Hiccup gets to his feet and continues to rush past gigantic men and women.

**HICCUP (V.O.) Meet the neighbors. Hoark the Haggard...**

**HOARK What are you doing out!?**

**HICCUP ... Burnthair the Broad...**

**BURNTHAIR Get inside!**

**HICCUP ... Phlegma the Fierce...**

**PHLEGMA THE FIERCE Get back inside!**

**HICCUP Ack.**

He passes a silent ox of a Viking, picking his ear.

**HICCUP (CONT'D) Yep, just Ack.**

Enter STOICK, the biggest Viking of all. He yanks Hiccup from the path of a strafing dragon and holds aloft to the crowd.

**STOICK Hiccup!? (accusingly; to the crowd) What is he doing out again?! (TO HICCUP) What are you doing out?! Get inside!**

The flames light up his scowling face and matted red beard. He sets Hiccup down and turns to the sky, searching.

Stoick pursed his lips at the image on the screen. That wasn't _really_ how he was, was it?

**HICCUP (V.O.) (IN AWE) That's Stoick the Vast. Chief of the tribe. They say that when he was a baby he popped a dragon's head clean off of its shoulders. Do I believe it?**

_**Stoick grabs a wooden cart and hurls it, knocking the**_

strafing dragon out of the sky.

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) Yes I do.**

The dragons all looked uneasy at this, while Hiccup glared at the screen.

Stoick looked at it in shock. Hiccup sounded like he _admired_ him. It felt good to know that his son looked up to him. He turned to see if he could see Hiccup in the crowd, but did not catch sight of him.

An EXPLOSION forces Vikings to DUCK. Stoick stands firm, brushing flaming debris off of his shoulder.

**STOICK (barking; to his men) What have we got?**

VIKING #1 Gronkles. Nadders. Zipplebacks. Oh, and Hoark saw a Monstrous Nightmare.

All of the mentioned dragons sat up a little straighter as they're names were said.

**STOICK Any Night Furies?**

Hiccup turned to look at Toothless with a small smile.

**VIKING #1None so far.**

**STOICK (RELIEVED) Good.**

**VIKING Hoist the torches!**

_**Massive flaming braziers are raised on poles, lighting up the night sky... and revealing swirling dragons of all types.**_

Below, Hiccup crosses an open plaza and ducks into an open building with a tall chimney.

_**INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - CONTINUOUS**_

He crosses behind a counter, where a peg-legged, one-armed hulk of a Blacksmith reshapes blades with a hammer and tongs appendage.

Gobber pointed to the screen. "Look, there I am!" He said loudly, and several people shushed him. "Eh, sorry."

**GOBBER**

**Ah! Nice of you to join the party. I thought you'd been carried off.**

Hiccup dons a leather apron and starts to put away Gobber's scattered appendages.

**HICCUP Who me? Nah, come on! I'm way too muscular for their taste. They wouldn't know what to do with all this.**

Hiccup strikes a bodybuilder pose.

Every single person and dragon in the theatre laughed their bellies ached. Hiccup felt his cheeks burn. This was a private conversation; he didn't want anyone to hear it!

GOBBER They need toothpicks, don't they?

More laughter, but it died down quicker this time.

_**Hiccup gets to work, transferring bent and chipped weapons to the forge as Vikings crowd the counter for replacements.**_

**HICCUP (V.O.) The meathead with attitude and interchangeable hands is Gobber. I've been his apprentice ever since I was little. Well...littler.**

Astrid turned to Hiccup and smirked. "Because you still are little." She said with false sweetness.

Gobber yelled, "Meathead? Who are ya callin' a meathead, ya little toothpick?!"

Hiccup chuckled, and called over to him, "Sorry…meathead."

EXT. VILLAGE – CONTINUOUS ON STOICK

**STOICK We move to the lower defenses. We'll counter-attack with the catapults.**

Armed men rush past, flanking others who carry sheep to safety. Stoick follows up the rear as, overhead, a dragon strafes the rooftops with Napalm-like fire.

**HICCUP (V.O.) See? Old village. Lots and lots of new houses.**

**VIKING -FIRE!**

In response, the fire brigade charges through the plaza - four TEENS, tugging a large wooden cask on wheels. From it, they fill buckets of water to douse the flames. One among them is a cute, energetic Viking girl. Hiccup leans out of the stall to watch her.

HICCUP (V.O.) Oh and that's Fishlegs, Snotlout. The twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut. And… (DREAMY) Astrid.

Hiccup felt his cheeks flush again as Astrid smirked at him once more.

_**A SLOW-MOTION explosion erupts behind her, framing her in a sexy ball of fire. The others join her, looking awesome and heroic.**_

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**

Their job is so much cooler.

"You got that right! OW!" Snotlout said as someone threw something at him.

_**Hiccup tries to join them as they pass, but he's hooked by Gobber and hoisted back inside.**_

"I really hate it when he does that," Hiccup said quietly to Astrid.

**HICCUP (CONT'D) (PLEADING) Ah, come on. Let me out, please. I need to make my mark.**

**GOBBER**

**Oh, you've made plenty of marks. All in the wrong places.**

The people in the room chuckled, except for Toothless, Astrid, and Hiccup.

**HICCUP Please, two minutes. I'll kill a dragon. My life will get infinitely better. I might even get a date.**

Snotlout snorted. That Fishbone, get a date? Yeah, right. Lucky for him, he said this inside his head, saving himself from bodily harm.

**GOBBER You can't lift a hammer. You can't swing an axe...**

Gobber grabs a bola (iron balls connected by rope).

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**

**... you can't even throw one of these.**

"Wait for it…" Hiccup said under his breath.

A Viking runs by and nabs it out of Gobber's hand, hurling it at a dive-bombing Gronkle. The bola binds its legs, sending it into a heavy crash.

HICCUP (ready with the answer) Okay fine, but... He rushes to the back corner of the stall and presents a bizarre, wheel barrow-like contraption.

"What's that supposed to do?" Fishlegs asked him curiously.

Hiccup grimaced. "You'll see."

**HICCUP (CONT'D) ... this will throw it for me.**

Hiccup OPENS the hinged lid of the device. An arm springs up, equipped with twin bows. They prematurely launch a bola, narrowly missing Gobber... and taking out a Viking at the counter.

The Viking that had been hit huffed. "Tha' really hurt, you know." He accused.

Hiccup mumbled a small, "sorry."

**VIKING Arggh!**

**GOBBER See, now this right here is what I'm talking about.**

**HICCUP**

**Mild calibration issue.**

"_Big_ calibration issue." Gobber said with a smirk.

"Thank you for pointing that out, Gobber." Hiccup replied sarcastically.

GOBBER Hiccup. If you ever want to get out there to fight dragons, you need to stop all...

_**Gobber gestures in Hiccup's general direction.**_

**GOBBER (CONT'D) ... this.**

**HICCUP (ASTONISHED) But... you just pointed to all of me.**

**GOBBER Yes! That's it! Stop being all of you.**

Astrid laughed a bit at that. "Oh, don't give me that look," she said as Hiccup glared at her, "It was funny!"

"Was not."

**HICCUP (THREATENING) Ohhhh...**

**GOBBER (MIMICKING) Ohhhhh, yes.**

**HICCUP You, sir, are playing a dangerous game. Keeping this much, raw...Vikingness contained. (BEAT) ****There will be consequences!**

"Consequences?" Tuffnut asked, screwing up his face in thought?

"What consequences?" Ruffnut finished.

"Um…" Hiccup said awkwardly.

Gobber tosses him a sword.

GOBBER I'll take my chances. Sword. Sharpen. Now.

_**Hiccup takes it begrudgingly and lobs it onto the grinding**_

_**wheel. He stews... fantasizing...**_

All of the Vikings, teens included, stared at the screen in shock. Finally, Fishlegs said what everyone was obviously thinking. "I didn't know you could even _lift_ a sword."

Hiccup eyed him. "Thank you… I think…"

**HICCUP (V.O.) One day I'll get out there. Because killing a dragon is everything around here.**

Hiccup snorted to himself. The dragons in the room shifted uneasily.

EXT. VILLAGE - LOWER PLAINS - CONTINUOUS

_**Nadders land, gathering like seagulls around a seemingly vacant house.**_

**HICCUP (V.O.) A Nadder head is sure to get me at least noticed.**

The Nadder looked like it was smiling.

_**The Nadders clamber onto the building, tearing the roof and walls apart. Sheep pour out and SCATTER.**_

_**Elsewhere, hippo-like Gronckles pick drying racks clean of fish and fly off like loaded pelicans.**_

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) Gronckles are tough. Taking down ****one of those would definitely get me a girlfriend.**

Astrid punched him on his arm. "Girls don't need you to _kill _things to get their attention, moron!" She said this with some affection, before placing a kiss on his cheek. "Though it's nice to know that you try."

Hiccup looked at Toothless with a _WTF_? expression.

The Gronkle present looked pleased with itself, knowing that it was worth something.

_**A stealthy, snake-like dragon head peeks over a rooftop, breathing gas into a chimney**_**.**

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) A Zippelback? Exotic, exciting. Two heads, twice the status.**

The two heads of the Zippelback looked up, interested. Twice the status, huh?

_**A second head pokes through the door and lights it. KABLAM! The two heads fly through the explosion, their necks zipping **__**together to reveal a single body. It flies past Stoick as he climbs to the top of a CATAPULT TOWER.**_

**CATAPULT OPERATOR They found the sheep!**

**STOICK (FRUSTRATED) Concentrate fire over the lower bank!**

**CATAPULT OPERATOR Fire!**

Boulders are catapulted at the corralling Nadders... Just as a huge red dragon whips past, spraying the base of the catapult with sticky fire.

**HICCUP (V.O.)**

**And then there's the Monstrous Nightmare. Only the best Vikings go ****after those. They have this nasty habit of setting themselves on fire**.

The Monstrous Nightmare in the room gave a wicked grin, but realized that it could not set itself on fire, probably having to do with the enchantments that the Ridley girl mentioned.

_**It emerges from the flames, climbing the catapult with a leering, toothy grin.**_

**STOICK Reload! I'll take care of this.**

_**Stoick takes on the Nightmare, face to hammer.**_

_**Suddenly, a LOUD BALLISTIC MOANING streaks overhead. The catapult crew ducks.**_

Toothless sat up a little straighter and puffed out his chest, recognizing his call.

INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - CONTINUOUS

_**ON HICCUP, looking up from his work, reacting to the same sound.**_

**HICCUP (V.O.)**

**But the ultimate prize is the dragon no one has ever seen. We call it the-**

**VIKING Night Fury! Get down!**

Vikings everywhere take shelter. The moaning sound BUILDS.

_**EXT. VILLAGE - CATAPULT - CONTINUOUS**_

_**The Monstrous Nightmare suddenly stops fighting and takes**_

_**flight. Stoick looks skyward.**_

STOICK: JUMP!

_**KABOOM! The Catapult EXPLODES as though hit by an artillery**_

_**shell... sending Stoick and the crew leaping for their lives.**_

**HICCUP (V.O.) This thing never steals food, never shows itself, and...**

The sound recedes, leaving the crippled catapult in flames.

HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) ...never misses.

**(BEAT)**

**No one has ever killed a Night ****Fury. That's why I'm going to be the first.**

_**IN THE STALL**_

_**Gobber trades his hammer for an axe.**_

**GOBBER**

**Man the fort, Hiccup, they need me out there!**

Gobber pauses. Turns with a threatening glare.

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**

**Stay. Put. There. You know what I mean.**

_**Gobber charges into the fray, HOLLERING.**_

_**ON HICCUP, a smirk crosses his face.**_

_**EXT. VILLAGE - MOMENTS LATER**_

_**WHAM! Hiccup pushes his wheeled contraption through a wall of clustered Vikings. He weaves through the ongoing mayhem, as fast as his legs can carry him.**_

**VIKING #6 (O.S.) Hiccup, where are you going!**

**VIKING #7 Come back here!**

**HICCUP ****I know. Be right back!**

Stoick shook his head. Hiccup would never listen.

_**ON THE PLAIN BELOW**_

_**The Nadders have cornered the house-full of sheep. They close in, ready to spring upon them.**_

_**Stoick suddenly appears, HURLING FISHING NETS over them. The surprised Nadders are caught. Stoick and his men rush in.**_

_**A Nadder blasts a hole through its net. Stoick leaps onto it, clamping his thick arms around its head, forcing its jaws shut.**_

**STOICK ****Mind yourselves! The devils still have some juice in them.**

_**ON THE PLAIN ABOVE**_

Hiccup reaches a cliff overlooking the smoking CATAPULT and drops the handles to the ground. He cranks several levers, unfolding and then cocking the bowed arms of his contraption. He drops a bola onto a chamber and then pivots the weapon on a gimbal head toward the dark sky. He listens, with his eye pressed to the scope, hand poised on the trigger. He hears the NIGHT FURY approaching... and turns his aim to the defense tower. It closes in for the final strike, completely camouflaged in the night.

**HICCUP (TO HIMSELF) ****Come on. Give me something to shoot at, give me something to shoot at.**

_KABLAM! The tower topples. The blast of fire illuminates the_

_**dragon for a split second. Hiccup pulls the trigger.**_

_**KERTHUNK! The flexed arms SNAP forward, springing the weapon**_

_**off the ground. The bola disappears into the sky, followed by**_

_**a WHACK and a SCREECH.**_

More surprise for the group of Vikings. "Good fer you, son!" Stoick bellowed. He had absolutely no idea why Hiccup was glaring at him.

**HICCUP (CONT'D) (surprised, then elated) Oh I hit it! Yes, I hit it! Did anybody see that?**

Hiccup's victory is short-lived. A Monstrous Nightmare appears, slithering up over the lip of the cliff.

**HICCUP (CONT'D) Except for you.**

A weak chuckle escaped many people's lips. They knew Hiccup would be alright, but it was amusing to see his dry humor even in such a dangerous situation.

They prepared themselves for the next scene.

* * *

**Ridley: I would appreciate it if you left what you thought in the reviews. I know it was semi-short, but I was REALLY tired while typing it, and didn't want to deal with formatting and stuff.**

**Dragon: And you're really lazy.**

**Ridley: Agreed. Oh, and Dragon?**

**Dragon: Yes...?**

**Ridley: I hope you like your stay in the Pit of Doom!**

**Dragon: NNNNNNOOOOOO!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ridley: Hello, I'll try to do this quick, but I'm sorry that I haven't been able to update. College prep stuff, ya know. I'm going to answer the reviews, and I have released Dragon from the Pit of Doom to help me.**

**Dragon: Oh, sweet freedom! dolphinand water, Ridley thanks you for the review, and don't worry, she'll finish... *grins evily***

**Ridley: *hits Dragon with a rolled up newspaper* Shut up! Ok, here we go. Httyd 4 Life, thank you!**

**Dragon: Thank you, karacrawford3**

**Ridley: good title(guest) I'm sorry that you feel this way, but thank you for the criticism. Have a nice day, I guess.**

**Dragon: Guest, like she said, she's prepping for college/university, so yeah, updates will be slower than both you and she would like. Sorry about that. Here is a cookie to make up for the long wait (::)**

**Ridley: Thank you, Guest**

**Dragon: cheveyo197913, here is the update. We thank you for your review**

**Ridley: Blue - The First Traveller, Thank you!**

**Dragon: Why thank you, Guest. Personally, I think that this one is total crap compared to others, but apparently the sidekicks opinion doesn't matter.**

**Ridley: Guest, Thanks for letting me know. My computer keeps messing with my formatting :P You get a cookie for informing me (::)**

**Dragon: Guest, thank you. And I like you. *grins***

**Ridley: Dragon, stop scaring people and do the disclaimer.**

**Dragon: Why can't you do it?**

**Ridley: I did it last time, dummy.**

**Dragon: You can't get up off your lazy ass, you mean. Ok, fine. Disclaimer, Ridley owns nothing, nada, zip, in this story. She just owns cats, lots and lots of cats...**

**Ridley: That's it, you're going back into the Pit!**

**Dragon: Dang it!**

* * *

_**ON STOICK, holding down the netted Nadders. He hears a familiar HOLLER and looks up to see...**_

_**HICCUP running through the PLAZA, SCREAMING, with the NIGHTMARE fast on his heels.**_

Snotlout snickered. His cousin sure looked stupid!

_**Alarmed, Stoick abandons the Nadders and runs off.**_

**STOICK **_**(To his men, re: the**__** NADDERS) **_**DO NOT let them escape!**

_**IN THE PLAZA**_

_**Vikings scatter as Hiccup dodges a near fatal blast. The Nightmare's sticky, Napalm-like fire splashes up onto buildings, setting them alight.**_

_**Hiccup ducks behind the last standing brazier - the only shelter available. The Nightmare blasts it, spraying fire all around him. Hiccup peers around the smoldering post. No sign of the Nightmare. He turns back to find it leering at him, blocking his escape. It takes a deep breath. Hiccup is finished. Suddenly, Stoick LEAPS between them, tackling the Nightmare to the ground. They tumble and wrestle, resuming their earlier fight. The Nightmare tries to toast him, but only coughs up smoke.**_

**STOICK (CONT'D) You're**** all out.**_**He smashes the Nightmare repeatedly in the face, driving it away. It takes to the air and disappears. Winded, Stoick turns to Hiccup.**_

The Nightmare is question glowered at the screen.

**HICCUP (V.O.) ****Oh, and there's one more thing you need to know...**

_**The burnt brazier pole collapses, sending the massive iron basket crashing. It bounces down the hill, destroying as it goes and scattering the Vikings who were holding down the netted Nadders. The freed dragons escape... with several sheep in tow.**_

**HICCUP (CONT'D) ****Sorry, dad.**

_**EXT. VILLAGE - UPPER PLAZA - CONTINUOUS**_

_**The escaped Nadders fly past with sheep in their clutches. The raid is over. The dragons have clearly won. The murmuring crowd eyes Stoick, awaiting his response**_**.**

**HICCUP (SHEEPISH) ****Okay, but I hit a Night Fury.****Stoick grabs Hiccup by the back scruff of his collar and****hauls him away, fuming with embarrassment.**

**HICCUP (CONT'D) ****It's not like the last few times,****Dad. I mean I really actually hit****it. You guys were busy and I had a****very clear shot. It went down, just****off Raven Point. Let's get a search****party out there, before it-**

**STOICK ****-STOP! Just...stop.**_**He releases Hiccup. Everyone goes silent, staring**_

_**expectantly.**_

**STOICK (CONT'D) ****Every time you step outside,****disaster follows. Can you not see****that I have bigger problems?****Winter's almost here and I have an****entire village to feed!**

_**Hiccup looks around. All eyes are upon him.**_

**HICCUP ****Between you and me, the village ****could do with a little less ****feeding, don't ya think?**

Reminded of that jab, all the Vikings that had been present began to mutter under their breath. Hiccup sunk low in his bean bag to avoid being seen.

_**A few rotund Vikings stir self-consciously.**_

**STOICK ****This isn't a joke, Hiccup!**** (EXASPERATED) ****Why can't you follow the simplest****orders?**

**HICCUP ****I can't stop myself. I see a dragon and I have to just... kill it, you know? It's who I am, Dad.**

Hiccup said nothing, but frowned slightly. If he had known about dragons then what he did now, he would not have said that.

**STOICK ****You are many things, Hiccup. But a****dragon killer is not one of them.**

Hiccup nodded in agreement, much to the surprise of Stoick.

_**Sting. Hiccup looks around to see many nods of agreement.**_

**STOICK (CONT'D) ****Get back to the house.**** (TO GOBBER) ****Make sure he gets there. I have his****mess to clean up.**

_**Stoick lumbers off in the opposite direction.**__**Gobber leads Hiccup through the walk of shame. They pass the**__**teen fire brigade as they snicker.**_

**TUFFNUT ****Quite the performance.**

**SNOTLOUT ****I've never seen anyone mess up that badly. That helped!**

**HICCUP ****Thank you, thank you. I was****trying, so...****Hiccup avoids Astrid's glare and heads up toward a large****house, standing prominently on the hill above the others.**

**HICCUP (CONT'D) ****I really did hit one.**

**GOBBER ****Sure, Hiccup.**

**HICCUP ****He never listens.**

**GOBBER ****Well, it runs in the family.**

**HICCUP ****And when he does, it's always with****this... disappointed scowl. Like****someone skimped on the meat in his****sandwich.**** (MIMICKING STOICK) ****Excuse me, barmaid. I'm afraid you brought me the wrong offspring. I****ordered an extra-large boy with****beefy arms. Extra guts and glory on****the side. This here. This is a****talking fish bone.**

Even though Hiccup had squished himself as low as he possibly could, _everyone's_ eyes were on him.

Astrid nudged him. "You do really good impressions, did you know that?"

Hiccup smiled.

**GOBBER ****You're thinking about this all****wrong. It's not so much what you****look like. It's what's inside that****he can't stand.**

_**Beat.**_

**HICCUP****Thank you, for summing that up.**

_**They reach the doorway.**_

**GOBBER ****Look, the point is, stop trying so****hard to be something you're not.**

_**Hiccup SIGHS heavily.**_

**HICCUP ****I just want to be one of you guys.**

_**Gobber eyes him sympathetically. Hiccup turns and goes**__**through the front door.**__**And straight out the back door. He hurries off into the**__**woods, determined**_**.**

Everyone started yelling at Hiccup.

"Ye idiot!" Gobber complained loudly.

* * *

**Ridley: So, it was shorter than the last chapter, but I was trying to hurry up with this one.**

**Dragon: ...And, as I have pointed out before, she is Lazy.**

**Ridley: *face palms* How the hell did you get out of the Pit of Doom?**

**Dragon: If I tell you, you'll make it so that I can't get out anymore.**

**Ridley: Tonight, Dragon, you die. Slowly and painfully.**

**Dragon: She won't do that. I've saved her butt so many times.**

**Ridley: Why don't we find out? *smiles innocently while holding a baseball bat.**

**Dragon: On second thought... HELP ME! Your reviews will save my life!**

**Ridley: Possibly.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ridley: Well well, look who finally decided to update! Since you guys were so generous with you reviews, it turns out that I _won't _be killing Dragon. **

**Dragon: Haha!**

**Ridley: Don't push me**

**Dragon: Sorry, sorry. Okay, let's get some reviews done! marine1342, _Thank you_. At least somebody here appreciates my presence.**

**Ridley: I'm warning you, Dragon. Okay, ScarletNightFury, _fine_I won't kill him. Even if the little bastard deserves it.**

**Dragon: Here you go, Tillythedwfan(guest).**

**Ridley: Aw, thank you WhiteWinterStar! Your review made my day :)**

**Dragon: Reader103, as you can see, Ridley did not kill me, and it's thanks to you and the other lovely reviewers :) :)**

**Ridley: Disclaimer, blah blah blah... I think you guys know that i'm not the owner of HTTYD. I'd be rich if i was .**

* * *

**INT. GREAT HALL – DAY**

_**A noisy din of PROTESTING VOICES leads to…**_

_**STOICK, glowering in the firelight, surrounded by his men.**_

**STOICK Either we finish them or they'll finish us! If we find the nest and destroy it, the dragons will leave. They'll find another home.**

**STOICK (CONT'D) (DECIDEDLY) One more search. Before the ice sets in.**

**VIKING Those ships never come back.**

Astrid and Hiccup exchanged a look, having recently seen the missing ships.

**STOICK (MATTER-OF-FACT) We're Vikings. It's an occupational hazard. Now who's with me? **_**Stoick throws up his fist. No one follows. The crowd shifts in restless silence. Head scratches. Eyes adverted.**_

**VIKING (FEEBLE) Today's not good for me.**

**VIKING (CONT'D) (EQUALLY FEEBLE) I've gotta do my axe returns.**

**STOICK Alright, those who stay will look after Hiccup. _Hands jut into the air, volunteers galore. Enthusiastic murmurs of prep and packing fill the room._**

**PHLEGMA THE FIERCE To the ships!**

**SPITELOUT I'm with you, Stoick!**

Hiccups mouth dropped. "Seriously?" he complained.

**STOICK (DRY) That's more like it. _The Vikings rush for the door, leaving Gobber and Stoick alone. Gobber gulps back the contents of his tankard attachment and scrapes back the bench._**

**GOBBER I'll pack my undies.**

**STOICK No, I need you to stay and train some new recruits.**

**GOBBER Oh, perfect. And while I'm busy, Hiccup can cover the stall. Molten steel, razor sharp blades, lots of time to himself… what could possibly go wrong?**

**_Stoick sinks onto the bench beside Gobber, his brow burdened._**

**STOICK What am I going to do with him, Gobber?**

**GOBBER Put him in training with the others.**

**STOICK No, I'm serious**

**GOBBER So am I. _Stoick turns to him, glaring._**

Hiccup smiled. At least Gobber had faith in him.

**STOICK He'd be killed before you let the first dragon out of its cage.**

**GOBBER Oh, you don't know that.**

**STOICK I do, actually.**

**GOBBER No, you don't.**

**STOICK No, actually I do.**

**GOBBER No you don't!**

**STOICK Listen! You know what he's like. From the time he could crawl, he's been… different. He doesn't listen.**

**STOICK (CON'T) He has the attention span of a sparrow. I take him fishing and he goes hunting for… for trolls.**

**GOBBER (DEFENSIVE) Trolls exist! They steal your socks. (DARKLY) But only the left ones. What's with that?**

The crowd broke into laughter, and Hiccup grinned at the antics of his mentor and friend.

**STOICK When I was a boy…**

Here the crowd groaned. While they loved and respected their chief, they didn't exactly enjoy his long-winded stories.

**GOBBER Oh, here we go.**

**STOICK My father told me to bang my head against a rock, and I did it. I thought it was crazy, but I didn't question him. And you know what happened?**

**GOBBER You got a headache.**

More chuckles.

**STOICK That rock split in two. It taught me what a Viking could do, Gobber. He could crush mountains, level forests,**

'_Um, no.' _Hiccup, and many of the others, thought. _'Only a god could do that.'_

**tame seas! Even as a boy, I knew what I was, What I had to become. (BEAT) Hiccup is not that boy.**

**GOBBER You can't stop him, Stoick. You can only prepare him. (BEAT) Look, I know it seems hopeless. But the truth is you won't always be around to protect him. He's going to get out there again. He's probably out there now.**

**_On STOICK, as Gobber's words hit their mark._**

**_EXT. WOODS – DAY_**

**_ON AN OPEN NOTEBOOK_**

**HICCUP Uggh, the gods hate me. Some people lose their knife or their mug. No, not me. I manage to lose an entire dragon! _Hiccup WHACKS a low-hanging branch. It SNAPS back at him, hitting him in the face._**

Everyone laughed, including Astrid. Hiccup gave her a faux-betrayed look, and she shrugged. "Hey, you have to admit that it was funny."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He grumbled.

**_He looks up to see a snapped tree trunk. His eyes follow it to a long trench of up-turned earth._**

**_He follows it to a downed, black dragon, it's body and tail tangled in a bola. It appears dead. Hiccup approaches, beaming._**

Everybody looked at the screen in awe, completely silent. They had no idea what to expect.

**HICCUP (CONT'D) (IN SHOCK) Oh wow. I did it. I did it. This fixes everything! (ELATED) Yes! _He strikes a victory pose, planting his foot on the fallen Night Fury._**

**HICCUP (CONT'D) I have brought down this mighty beast! _It suddenly shifts._**

**HICCUP (CONT'D) Whoa!**

There were a few gasps from the crowd.

**_Hiccup springs back, terrified. He turns his blade on it. Rattled, Hiccup creeps along the length of the weak, wounded dragon, dagger poised to strike. As he reaches the head, Hiccup finds the Night Fury staring coldly at him. Hiccup tries to look away, but he's drawn back to its unnerving, unflinching stare._**

**_With the dragon sagely tangled in the ropes, Hiccup jabs with his dagger, puffing himself up with false bravado._**

**HICCUP (CONT'D) I'm going to kill you, Dragon. I'm gonna cut out your heart and take it to my father. I'm a Viking. (BEAT) I am a VIKING!**

**_Hiccup raises the dagger, determined to prove his Viking-ness. The dragons labored breathing breaks Hiccup's clenched concentration. He opens an eye, uncertainty leaking through. The dragon holds the stare. Something profound is exchanged. Finally, the Night Fury closes its eye and lowers its head, resigned to its fate._**

**_Hiccup tries to go through with it, holding the dagger aloft… fighting himself… until finally lowering it with a frustrated sigh._**

**_He looks over the dragon's chaffed rope wounds._**

**HICCUP (CONT'D) (MUTTERED, ASHAMED) I did this.**

Astrid put her hand on Hiccup's shoulder, squeezing gently.

**_He turns to leave. Pauses. And glances back at the dragon, chest heaving._**

**_Hiccup GRUMBLES. He checks over his shoulder to ensure that no one is watching… then hurries back to cut the ropes. The Night Fury's eye shoots open. With the dragon watching his every move, Hiccup hurriedly saws through the bola ropes. As the last rope falls free, the Night Fury suddenly POUNCES! In a blur, the dragon is upon him, pinning Hiccup down, grazing is neck. Looking like it's about to kill him. Hiccup opens his eyes to find the Night Fury's wolf-like stare boring into him. The exchange is intense, profound._**

**_The dragon draws a deep breath, as though it's about to torch him, then lets out an ear-piercing scream instead. It turns and takes flight, flapping violently through the canopy of trees. It bashes against a nearby mountain side, recovers, and drops out of view some distance away._**

There were many outraged cries from the other Vikings.

"Why didn't you kill it?" Tuffnut complained loudly.

Hiccup shrugged. "Don't know," he muttered.

**_Winded, Hiccup struggles to his feet, staggers a few steps, collapses to his knees, and faints._**

Tension forgotten, laughter came once more from the crowd. Even Hiccup managed to crack a smile. He did look fairly silly.

_I**NT. STOICK'S HOUSE – CONTINUOUS**_

**_Hiccup enters to see…_**

**STOICK Hiccup**

**HICCUP (CAUGHT) Dad. Uh…**

**_Stoick stands, takes a deep breath._**

**HICCUP (CONT'D) I, uh… I have to talk to you, Dad.**

**STOICK I need to speak with you too, son. _Hiccup and Stoick STRAIGHTEN at the same moment._**

**HICCUP/STOICK I've decided I don't want to I think it's time you learn to fight dragons. to fight dragons. (BEAT) What? What?**

**STOICK (CONT'D) You go first.**

**HICCUP No, you go first.**

**STOICK Alright. You get your wish, Dragon training. You start in the morning.**

**HICCUP (SCRAMBLING) Oh man, I should've gone first. Uh, cause I was thinking, you know we have a surplus of dragon-fighting Vikings, but do we have enough bead-making Vikings, or small home repair Vikings—**

**STOICK –You'll need this. _Stoick hands Hiccup his axe. Hiccup avoids taking it._**

**HICCUP I don't want to fight dragons.**

**STOICK Come on. Yes, you do.**

**HICCUP. Rephrase. Dad, I can't kill dragons.**

**STOICK But you will kill dragons.**

**HICCUP No, I'm really very extra sure that I won't.**

**STOICK It's time, Hiccup.**

**HICCUP Can you not hear me?**

Stoick felt slightly guilty for not listening to his only son. However, he pushed his guilt away with the thought, _'It's for his own good,'_

**STOICK This is serious, son! _Stoick forces the axe into Hiccup's hands. Its weight drags him down. He looks up to see Stoick under-lit with firelight._**

**STOICK (CONT'D) When you carry this axe… you carry all of us with you. Which means you walk like us. You talk like us. You think like us No more of… _GESTURING non-specifically at Hiccup …_this.**

**HICCUP You just gestured to all of me.**

**STOICK Deal?**

**HICCUP This conversation is feeling very one-sided.**

**STOICK Deal?!**

**_Hiccup glances at the axe in his hands. It's a no-win argument._**

**HICCUP (RESIGNED) Deal. _Satisfied, Stoick grabs his helmet and duffel bag… and heads for the door._**

**STOICK Good. Train hard. I'll be back. Probably.**

**HICCUP And I'll be here. Maybe. _Stoick heads out the door, leaving Hiccup holding the axe._**

Ridley popped into view, startling the crowd. "Hello!" she said cheerfully. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to be bringing in a few special guests." She motioned with her hand at three figures who had _defiantly _not been there before.

Two of them, tall intimidating figures, wore masks, and the third person was a muscular man. Some people noticed that One of the masked figures was missing a leg, and in it's place was a strange contraption.

"I can't tell you these guys are," Ridley continued, motioning once more at the masked figures, "but this other guy is Eret. Say 'hi', Eret!"

The third figure – Eret – looked slightly miffed. "Hi," he said in a grouchy voice.

Ridley put her hand next to her mouth and stage-whispered, "He doesn't want to be here right now." She took her hand away, and continued as if she hadn't said anything at all. "Well, they're going to take a seat, so let's get on with the film!"

Any side conversations that might have been going on were hushed as the next scene came on the screen.

* * *

**Ridley: So how was that? Good? Bad? A little bit of both? Let me know what you thought in the reviews!**

**Dragon:Yeah, it's the only time people actually talk to her!**

**Ridley: I'm seriously sick of you. If you don't shut up,**

**Dragon: Yeah yeah, I'm going into the Pit...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ridley: Sooo... I've been a bit busy, my granddad had a heart surgery, and then he got pneumonia, so it's been a sucky few weeks.**

**Dragon: And there's been some stuff involving 'substances'...**

**Ridley: I told you, I was not HIGH! it was because my contacts were messing with my eyes, and it made them red.**

**Dragon: Sure, that's what they all say...**

**Ridley: Seriously?! And how the hell did you even get out of the pit?**

**Dragon: My secrets shall never be revealed! Oh look, reviews!**

**Ridley: Angryhenry, glad you like it :)**

**Dragon: marine1324, should I, should I be scared...?**

**Ridley: . .on, most likely, but not for a while. I was thinking about a memory wipe, just 'cause I feel that certain events are necessary for the story.**

**Dragon: The Writer Es, thanks! and just look at Rid's reply above, it says all that I need to.**

**Ridley: Angel3687, your wish has been granted!**

**Dragon: And now, for the disclaimer! Ridley The Dragon Rider does not, and will not, _ever_ own HTTYD.**

**Ridley: I do own a Toothless plushie, though :)**

* * *

_**EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - DAY**_

_**Gobber raises a massive iron gate at the entrance of a vast stone arena.**_

**GOBBER Welcome to dragon training! **_**The recruits file through the gate, and out onto the arena floor. They take it in like gladiators entering the coliseum. The walls are covered in scorched silhouettes of blasted Vikings. It's a grim yet awe-inspiring place.**_

**ASTRID No turning back.**

**TUFFNUT I hope I get some serious burns.**

**RUFFNUT I'm hoping for some mauling, like on my shoulder or lower back.**

**ASTRID Yeah, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it.**

**HICCUP (O.S.) Yeah, no kidding, right? Pain. Love it. **_**The recruits turn to see Hiccup behind them. Groans all around.**_

Those groans were echoed by the audience. Hiccup turned red with embarrassment.

For some reason, the masked person (the one with one leg) shifted in his seat as Eret, son of Eret, snorted.

**TUFFNUT Oh great. Who let him in?**

**GOBBER Let's get started! The recruit who does best will win the honor of killing his first dragon in front of the entire village.**

**SNOTLOUT Hiccup already killed a Night Fury, so does that disqualify him or…? **_**The recruits LAUGH and chatter in the background.**_

Snotlout laughed at his own joke, but no one laughed with him. He stopped when he saw both Astrid and the Night Fury glaring at him.

**TUFFNUT Can I transfer to the class with the cool Vikings? **_**Gobber throws a supportive arm around Hiccup and ushers him along.**_

**GOBBER (cheery, in confidence) Don't worry. You're small and you're weak. That'll make you less of a target. They'll see you as sick or insane and go after the more Viking-like teens instead. **_**GOBBER sticks him in line with the others and continues on toward five massive reinforced doors. Terrible ROARS and BELLOWS issue from within.**_

"Gobber, I don't think it works quite like that..." someone pointed out.

Gobber tilted his head slightly. "What do ya mean?"

"Um... never mind..."

**GOBBER (CONT'D) Behind these doors are just a few of the many species you will learn to fight. **_**Fishlegs bounces and giggles with excitement, barely able to contain himself.**_

**GOBBER (CONT'D) The Deadly Nadder.**

**FISHLEGS (under his breath) Speed eight. Armor sixteen.**

There were a few annoyed groans from the audience, but not many.

**GOBBER The Hideous Zippleback**

**FISHLEGS Plus eleven stealth. Times two.**

Okay, so now about a quarter of the people were groaning.

**GOBBER The Monstrous Nightmare.**

**FISHLEGS Firepower fifteen.**

Half of the Vikings were groaning now.

**GOBBER The Terrible Terror**

**FISHLEGS Attack eight. Venom twelve.**

_Everyone_ groaned.

**GOBBER /CAN YOU STOP THAT?! (BEAT) And… the Gronkle.**

Here, most of the Vikings laughed at poor Fishleg's expense.

**FISHLEGS (quietly, to himself) Jaw strength eight.**

There were a few sighs, and many people rolled their eyes.

_**Gobber pulls a lever, raising the cross beam on the last of the doors.**_

**SNOTLOUT Whoa, wait! Aren't you gonna teach us first!?**

**GOBBER I believe in learning on the job.**

_**BAM! A GRONKLE thunders out of its cave, charging into the ring like an irate rhino. The recruits scramble in every direction. Except for Ruffnut and Tuffnut who rush toward it, like pumped-up rodeo clowns.**_

**GOBBER (CONT'D) Today is about survival. If you get blasted, you're dead. Quick, what's the first thing you're going to need?**

**HICCUP A doctor?**

**FISHLEGS Plus five speed?**

**Astrid A shield.**

**GOBBER ****Shields. Go.**

_**The recruits scramble for shields, finding them scattered around the ring.**_

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**** Your most important piece of equipment is your shield. If you must make a choice between a sword or a shield, take the shield.**

_**Hiccup STRUGGLES to lift his. Gobber helps him and sends him**__**running. Ruff and Tuff stand amidst a dozen shields. But only one has a skull painted on it. They both grab it.**_

**TUFFNUT ****Get your hands off my shield!**

**RUFFNUT ****There are like a million shields!**

**TUFFNUT ****Take that one, it has a flower on it. Girls like flowers.**

_**Ruffnut uses the shield to BASH Tuffnut in the face. He doesn't let go.**_

**RUFFNUT ****Ooops, now this one has blood on it.**

While many Vikings laughed at the antics of the twins, the twins parents sighed. How on earth could they make their unruly children get along?

_**The Gronckle takes aim at the distracted twins. Blam! The shield is blasted out of both of their hands. Tuff and Ruff SPIN like tops and go down.**_

**GOBBER ****Tuffnut, Ruffnut, you're out!**

**TUFFNUT (DAZED)**** What?!**

**RUFFNUT (CONFUSED)**** What?!**

_**The Gronckle scoops up a pile of rocks and SWALLOWS them back. The teens gather on the far side of the ring.**_

**GOBBER ****Those shields are good for another thing. Noise. Make lots of it to throw off a dragon's aim.**

_**The kids scoop up weapons and begin hammering on their shields. The Gronckle shakes its head at the clatter.**_

_**GRONCKLE'S POV - the teens targets become blurry and scrambled. It's working.**_

_Wow_. It was so interesting to be able to see what a dragon sees, and how it sees. Hiccup leaned forward, interested.

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**** All dragons have a limited number of shots. How many does a Gronckle have?**

**SNOTLOUT ****Five!**

**FISHLEGS ****No, six.**

**GOBBER ****Correct, six. That's one for each of you!**

**FISHLEGS ****I really don't think my parents**** would-**

_**BAM! Fishlegs has his shield blasted away.**_

Fishlegs' parents gave Gobber a glare that he pointedly ignored.

**GOBBER ****Fishlegs, out**_**. Gobber spots Hiccup hiding from the Gronckle's molten slugs.**_

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**** Hiccup, get in there!**

Collective groans. Bad idea, Gobber, bad idea.

_**ON ASTRID bouncing on her heels, ready to dodge a blast. Snotlout appears, trying to hit on her.**_

**SNOTLOUT ****So anyway I'm moving into my parents' basement. You should come by sometime to work out. You look like you work out—**

_**She cartwheels out of the way, allowing a shot to shoot past her and hit Snotlout's shield. He's blasted onto his back.**_

**GOBBER ****Snotlout! You're done!**

_**Astrid ROLLS to a stop beside Hiccup, who stirs awkwardly, trying to look cool.**_

**HICCUP (VOICE BREAKING)**** So, I guess it's just you and me, huh?**

Stoick face-palmed.

**ASTRID ****No. Just you.**

_**Astrid ROLLS away. A split-second later a lava slug knocks Hiccup's shield clear off of his arm. Hiccup is exposed.**_

**GOBBER ****One shot left!**

_**Hiccup panics and chases after his shield as it rolls across the ring. The sudden movement sends the Gronckle chasing after him, leaving Astrid in the clear.**_

**GOBBER (CONT'D) (WORRIED)**** Hiccup!**

_**The Gronckle drives straight toward Hiccup, pinning him against the wall. It opens its mouth and cocks its tail, ready to fire point-blank. Gobber lunges in and hooks the Gronckle's mouth at the last second, causing its head to jerk back and fire against the stone wall above Hiccup's head.**_

**GOBBER (CONT'D) ****(rattled, but masking it)****And that's six!**

_**Gobber wrestles the irate Gronckle back into his pen.**_

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**** Go back to bed, ya overgrown sausage! You'll get another chance, don't you worry.**

_**Slam! Lock. Gobber turns to the recruits.**_

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**** Remember... a dragon will always, (with a stern look to ****HICCUP) ****always go for the kill. **_**He hoists Hiccup to his feet and walks off. Hiccup looks ****overhead to see a steaming pit in the solid stone wall.**_

There was confusion from the Vikings. How come the Night Fury didn't kill Hiccup when it got the chance?

_**EXT. WOODS/HIDDEN COVE - DUSK**_

_**HICCUP, battered after another disastrous day in the ring. He studies the remnants of the discarded bola... revealing that he's back at the scene of the crime.**_

**HICCUP (MUTTERED) ****So...why didn't you? **

"Hey, that's what I was just thinking!" Snotlout cried out, pointing at the screen.

_**He drops the bola and presses on in the direction it flew off. He drops into a rocky crevice and follows it to an...**_

_**ISOLATED COVE complete with a pristine spring pool. He scans the high stone walls... then notices a single black SCALE on the ground. He crouches and picks it up, studying it.**_

**HICCUP (CONT'D) ****Well this was stupid. **_**SUDDENLY, the NIGHT FURY blasts past him. Hiccup recoils,**__**watching the massive beast struggle to climb the walls. It**__**flaps violently, then peels away to a rough landing. The dragon is trapped. Hiccup grins, excited to see it again, and slips closer. He watches as the dragon, exhausted and frustrated, leaps into the air, beating its wings furiously. Again and again, it rolls uncontrolled and CRASHES heavily. As if remembering to snap a photo, Hiccup pulls a leather- bound book and flips past drawings of weapons to a blank page. He sketches the dragon quickly, desperate to record the image. The Fury claws at the steep rock walls, trying climb out of the cove. It SLIPS and falls hard, crushing several saplings. The Fury rolls back to his feet and slowly crawls to the water's edge. He spots fish in the shallow water and snaps at them... but comes up empty. He lowers his head, looking weakened.**_

More confusion from all the Vikings. What was wrong with this dragon? It hadn't killed Hiccup (not that anyone was complaining... okay, maybe some were, but that's besides the point), and now it can't even fly!?

**HICCUP (CONT'D) (MUTTERED)**** Why don't you just...fly away?**

_**ON HICCUP as he spots the problem. He adjusts his drawing, carefully erasing one half of the dragon's tail. He accidentally drops the charcoal stick. It rolls off of the rock outcropping that hides him from view and bounces into the cove. TINK. TINK. TINK. The Night Fury raises his head, spotting Hiccup. They exchange a profound, unflinching stare.**_

Complete silence overtook the audience.

_**DISSOLVE TO:**_

_**INT. GREAT HALL - NIGHT**_

_**A storm is brewing outside. The great doors rattle on their hinges.**_

**GOBBER (O.S.)**** Alright. Where did Astrid go wrong in the ring today?**_** The recruits are seated at a table, eating dinner by the glow of the the fire pit**_**.**

Snotlout sent Astrid a flirty look, "You can never go wrong, babe," he said. Astrid looked like she either wanted to throw up or murder him.

**ASTRID ****I mistimed my summersault dive. It was sloppy. It threw off my reverse tumble.**_** Eye rolls from the group.**_

**RUFFNUT (SARCASTIC)**** Yeah. We noticed.**

**SNOTLOUT**** (grabbing Astrid's hand) No, no, you were great. That was so 'Astrid'.**

**GOBBER ****She's right, you have to be tough on yourselves.**

_**CREAK. All eyes turn to Hiccup, entering the hall, sheepishly. Gobber glares at him.**_

**GOBBER (CONT'D) ****(glaring at Hiccup) Where did Hiccup go wrong?  
**_'Nice to know that you care, Gobber,' _Hiccup thought to himself. Gobber sent him an apologetic look, though Hiccup didn't see it.

_**He tries to take a seat at the table...**_

**RUFFNUT ****He showed up.**

**TUFFNUT ****He didn't get eaten.**

_**... but the recruits keep closing the gaps. Rolling his eyes, sits at the vacant table next to them.**_

Stoick pursed his lips. He had no idea that this was how the other teens treated his son. They were going to have a talk once this was all over with.

**ASTRID ****He's never where he should be.**

**GOBBER ****Thank you, Astrid.**_** Gobber stands.**_

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**** You need to live and breathe this stuff. **_** Gobber lays a giant book in the center of the table.**_

**GOBBER (CONT'D) ****The dragon manual. Everything we know about every dragon we know of.**

_**A RUMBLE of thunder shakes the hall. Rain pours down outside.**_

**GOBBER (CONT'D) ****No attacks tonight. Study up. **_** Gobber EXITS into the storm, leaving the teens staring at the book.**_

**TUFFNUT ****(you've got to be kidding) Wait, you mean read?**

**RUFFNUT ****While we're still alive?**

The twins parents sent them a disappointed glare. "Reading is very important to gain the knowledge that you need," their father said sternly.

"Yeah, yeah," Ruffnutt said, waving her hand.

**SNOTLOUT ****Why read words when you can just kill the stuff the words tell you stuff about?**

**FISHLEGS ****Oh! I've read it like, seven times. There's this water dragon that sprays boiling water at your face. And there's this other one that buries itself for like a week... **_**The teens stare as Fishlegs goes on too long.**_

**TUFFNUT ****Yeah, that sounds great. There was a chance I was going to read that...**

**RUFFNUT ****...but now...**

_**Snotlout gets up to go.**_

**SNOTLOUT ****You guys read, I'll go kill stuff.**

_**The others follow, with Fishlegs in tow.**_

**FISHLEGS ****Oh and there's this other one that has these spines that look like trees...**

_**Astrid is the last to go.**_

**HICCUP ****So I guess we'll share-**

**ASTRID ****Read it. **_**She pushes it toward him and leaves.**_

**HICCUP**

**All mine then. Wow, so okay. I'll see you—**

_**Slam.**_

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**** Tomorrow. ****SIGH.**

Hiccup turned and saw that the one-legged masked person was having a whispered conversation with the other masked person.

He wondered who they were...

* * *

**Dragon: We all know who the people in masks are... and if you don't, well, spoilers...**

**Ridley: guys, that was 2,134 words _without_ the authors notes. Wow. I think I have earned myself a treat!**

**Dragon: Are you gonna eat those crummy gingerbread cookies you made?**

**Ridley: No, those things were crap. Imma get me some ice cream!**

**Dragon: you're going to get so fat, Rid. Freshmen 15, remember?**

**Ridley: Shuddup, I'm not going to be in college until next fall.**

**Dragon: Stilll...**

**Ridley: You know what, you're a jerk. Guys, don't forget to review and let me know what you thought! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ridley: I'm sorry that I haven't updated in forever, but I've been really sick lately. It was really scary. Oh, and I am _done_ with high school! I am now studying at university. I'm actually an undecided major, but I'm leaning towards either biology or English. Huh.**

**Dragon: Wait, wait, wait, _you_ were smart enough to get into college? I'm questioning everything now.**

**Ridley: Shut up, asshat. I don't know why I haven't gotten rid of you yet.**

**Dragon: Because if you did you wouldn't have anyone to talk to? You're just a creepy anti-social nerd, remember?**

**Ridley:...I hate you, I really do. Let's answer reviews before I kill you, alright?**

**Dragon: Fine with me. Angryhenry, she will when she feels like it!**

**Ridley: Dragon, that was mean. I am on a weird schedule, though. I have some health problems, so this story is taking longer than I anticipated. marine1324, hahaha YES! Dragon should always be scared of me, mwahahahaha!**

**Dragon: I'm scared, but not for the reasons you'd think. mypettaylor1, well, that would just seem to be Ridley's style of writing. I keep telling her she should make it better, but then she threatens to kill me.**

**Ridley: I'll make note of your comments for the future. I just feel like if I changed my style now, I'd have to redo the entire story, which would take forever. Thanks for being honest with me, I do appreciate that. Blue - The First Traveller, I do need to work on having the audience interact more, yes. There will be more of that in the future, hopefully. Thanks for the review.**

**Dragon: KAT of fanfiction, well aren't you nice :) Ridley and I thank you for reading this.**

**Ridley: Wolfhannah (Guest), thanks sweetie!**

**Dragon: ally, thanks.**

**Ridley: Ohsochich, Ah! Here you go (please don't kill me...)**

**Dragon: Ridley is too stupid to own HTTYD, so don't think she does. That is all.**

**Ridley: And on with the show! (BTW, I only answered reviews for this last chapter that I posted. If you reviewed on one of the earlier chapters, sorry about not replying, but that would take too long.**

* * *

**_DISSOLVE TO: INT. GREAT HALL - LATE NIGHT_**

**_ON HICCUP'S HAND OPENING the massive book. Thunder BOOMS outside. The hall is vacant and dark, but for the few candles he's pulled together. Hiccup pours through page after page of strange and frightening dragons._**

"You actually _read_ that thing?" Snotlout snickered. Hiccup stared at him and said, deadpan,

"Yes Snotlout, because I _can_ read." The bigger Viking's face turned as red as a fireball, and he spluttered for a moment before choosing to stare at the screen, seething silently.

The two masked people seemed to chuckle at that. Eret, the big guy that they came with, scoffed.

"What use is reading?" He began. "Words on a page do not give you the experience to kill a dragon!" One of the masked people smacked the back of Eret's legs after that comment, but Gobber called out,

"At least _someone_ gets it!"

"Would you shut up?" A random person called out. "I wanna see what happens!" Eret and Gobber abliged, though they sent glares in that direction.

**HICCUP (V.O.)**

**Dragon classifications. Strike class. Fear class. Mystery class.**

**_Hiccup turns the page._**

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**

**Thunderdrum. This reclusive dragon inhabits sea caves and dark tide pools. When startled, the Thunderdrum produces a concussive sound that can kill a man at close range. Extremely dangerous. Kill on sight.**

A few Vikings murmured their agreements before being shushed by their companions.

**_Hiccup's eyes drift to a lurid illustration of decapitated Vikings._**

Nearly everyone winced at the pictures of the deaths.

**_Another page, another dragon._**

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**

**Timberjack. This gigantic creature has razor sharp wings that can slice through full-grown trees...extremely dangerous. Kill on sight.**

**_The illustrations seem to take on a life of their own, shifting and squirming in the candlelight._**

Some of the crowed _ooh_-ed at how cool that looked.

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**

**Scauldron. Sprays scalding water at its victim. Extremely dangerous.**

**_The storm outside rages against the shuttered windows. Hiccup_**

**_is startled, but presses on._**

"Baby," Snotlout muttered under his breath, warily looking out of the corner of his eye to see if Hiccup or his dragon heard him. Or Astrid. He shuddered to think of some of the things Astrid would do to him.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**Changewing. Even newly hatched dragons can spray acid. Kill on sight.**

**_He begins flipping through the pages. A blur of dragons..._**

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**Gronckle. Zippleback. The Skrill. Bone Knapper. Whispering Death. Burns its victims. Buries its victims. Chokes its victims. Turns its victims inside-out. Extremely dangerous. Extremely dangerous. Kill on sight. Kill on sight. Kill on sight...**

**_Hiccup finally lands upon the page he's been looking for._**

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**

**Night Fury.**

The crowd held their breath. They knew very little about this dragon. Heck, they had only ever seen it in person because of some weird witch! And now… Now the youngest, scrawniest Viking was going to learn so many things about this elusive species. If only they knew it's weaknesses…

**_It's BLANK - no image, save for a few, sparse details._**

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**Speed unknown. Size unknown. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Never engage this dragon. Your only chance, hide and pray it does not find you.**

**_Hiccup pulls his sketchbook out of his vest and opens it to his drawing of Toothless. He lays it over the book's blank page and considers it. CLOSE ON the drawing of Toothless..._**

**_MATCH CUT TO: EXT. HIGH SEAS - DAWN_**

**_A painted DRAGON, with a sword run through it. It's the billowing sail of Stoick's ship. Stoick hovers over the familiar nautical map - his eyes on the uncharted corner, swirling in mist and illustrations of dragons_**_._

"Oh yeah," Tuffnut said thoughtfully, "I forgot they were still out there." Ruffnut rolled her eyes. "You're so stupid, I wouldn't be surprised if you forgot how to put on your pants!"

**STOICK**

**I can almost smell them. They're close. Steady.**

**_Stoick raises his gaze to..._**

**_AN EPIC FOG BANK, towering from sky to sea like a bruised, daunting curtain, beyond which nothing is visible. The three ships drift alongside it, skirting its solid edge, looking for an opening. ON DECK the crewmen mill nervously, all too aware of what Stoick is considering._**

The Vikings that had not gone on the expedition with Stoick watched in interest. They had no idea exactly what had happened while he and his group were away, only that they had not come back successful.

**STOICK (CONT'D)**

**Take us in.**

**_The helmsman steers Stoick's ship into the fog. The men draw_**

**_their weapons, prepping for the worst._**

**VIKING**

**Hard to port... for Helheim's gate.**

**_The first ship disappears into the whiteout, followed by the other two._**

**_A BEAT. Suddenly a flash of light. A silhouette of a dragon. Hollers. Sounds of splitting and shattering wood. Plunges into the water. Another bright flash._**

Hiccup winced. Sure, he and his dad weren't really getting on as well as he wanted at the moment, but that didn't mean he wasn't worried that his dad would be in danger.

Stoick cast a sideways glance at his son without Hiccup's notice. His face was unreadable.

**_MATCH CUT TO: EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - RING - DAY_**

**_CLOSE ON a DRAGON painted onto a shield. Hiccup runs his finger over its outline_****.**

**HICCUP**

**You know, I just happened to notice the book had nothing on Night**

**Furies. Is there another book? Or a sequel? Maybe a little Night Fury pamphlet?**

Groans. How did the biggest, bravest, and strongest Viking chief to ever have lived on Berk produce such a _strange_ child?

**_KABLAM! A blast takes the axe head off of Hiccup's hilt, leaving a smoking hole behind him. Hiccup YELPS and RUNS._**

**GOBBER (O.S.)**

**FOCUS Hiccup! You're not even trying.**

"Of course I'm not," Hiccup said very quietly. Not even Astrid heard him.

**_CUT BACK to reveal a Deadly Nadder, loose in a maze-like arrangement of moveable walls. Gobber calls orders from above_****.**

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**

**Today... is all about attack.**

**_The Nadder hops from wall to wall, sending the recruits scurrying._**

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**

**Nadders are quick and light on their feet. Your job is to be quicker and lighter.**

**_The teens move in, stumbling over Hiccup and his unwieldy shield. The Nadder spots Fishlegs' ample rear hiding behind a wall. It whips its tail of spikes. Fishlegs SCREAMS and lifts an entire wall to shield himself from the spray._**

"Gobber, we wanted ya to _train_ the kids, not _kill and maim them_." Fishleg's father scolded the blacksmith, who just shrugged.

"You all have your ways of going 'bout things, I have mine." Fair enough.

**FISHLEGS**

**I'm really beginning to question your teaching methods.**

"We all are," Hiccup said dryly. "But it works out okay in the end, so…"

**GOBBER**

**Look for its blind spot. Every dragon has one. Find it, hide in it, and strike.**

**_Ruff and Tuff rush in, diving and rolling up to the Nadder's nose. The Nadder sniffs the air - it can't see them. Tuff and Ruff are smashed together - too close for comfort._**

**RUFFNUT (WHISPERED)**

**Do you ever bathe?**

**TUFFNUT**

**If you don't like it, then just get your own blind spot.**

**RUFFNUT**

**How about I give you one!**

**_Ruff and Tuff SHOVE each other, till their movement and noise gives them away. The Nadder ATTACKS, SNAPPING at both of them._**

**Once again, the twin's parents were wondering how everything went wrong with those two.**

**GOBBER**

**Blind spot? Yes. Deaf spot? Not so much.**

This warranted a few chuckles.

**_Hiccup wanders up to Gobber, while the others dart past._**

**HICCUP**

**Hey, so how would one sneak up on a Night Fury?**

**GOBBER**

**None one's ever met one and lived to tell the tale. Now get in there.**

**HICCUP**

**I know, I know, but hypothetically...**

"Hiccup!" Stoick scolded his son. He couldn't help it, how could the boy be so daft some times.

"I'm still alive," Hiccup complained, "so it's no use yelling at me now."

**ASTRID (WHISPERED)**

**Hiccup!**

**_She puts her finger to her lips and gestures for him to hide. A moment later, the Nadder leaps over the walls, surprising them by landing in front of her. Astrid somersaults into its blind spot, confusing it. She rears back to strike - just as Snotlout LEAPS IN, protectively SWEEPING Astrid behind him._**

**SNOTLOUT**

**Watch out babe. I'll take care of this.**

Groans came from both the teens, who knew what was to happen, and from the adults, tired of Snotlout's antics

**ASTRID**

**Hey!**

**_Snotlout MISSES. Astrid glares at him._**

**SNOTLOUT (DEFENSIVE)**

**The sun was in my eyes, Astrid. What do you want me to do, block out the sun? I could do that, but I don't have time right now!**

"Son, you're an idiot," Snotlout's father groaned.

**The Nadder tears off after her, knocking down walls in pursuit. She leaps and dives like a highly trained gymnast. Hiccup wanders up to Gobber again.**

**HICCUP**

**They probably take the daytime off. You know, like a cat. Has anyone ever seen one napping?**

**GOBBER**

**Hiccup!**

**ASTRID**

**-Hiccup!**

**_Hiccup spins around to see the maze walls collapsing like dominos toward him. Astrid comes flying through the dust and crash-lands on top of him, laying him out in a limb-tangled mess._**

**TUFFNUT**

**Oooh! Love on the battlefield!**

**RUFFNUT**

**She could do better.**

"Was that really the time?" Hiccup grumbled, blushing slightly. He didn't notice, but Astrid had a tinge of pink in her cheeks.

**_The Nadder closes in, emerging through the cloud of dust_****.**

**HICCUP (struggling to untangle)**

**Just... let me... why don't you...**

**_The Nadder spins around and races back toward them like a Raptor._**

**_Astrid untangles herself and tries to pull her axe from Hiccup's shield... which is attached to his limp, gangly arm._**

**_She PLANTS her foot on his torso and YANKS the axe free, still burrowed into the shield. She SPINS and SWINGS the axe and shield, scoring a DIRECT HIT on the oncoming Nadder's NOSE. It yelps and scurries off._**

**GOBBER**

**Well done, Astrid.**

**_Gobber hobbles off to wrestle the Nadder back into his cave. Hiccup gets to his feet - all eyes are upon him. He turns to find Astrid glaring at him, winded._**

**ASTRID**

**Is this some kind of a joke to you? Our parents' war is about to become ours. Figure out which side you're on.**

"I think we know what side he's on," Stoick said in a deadly calm voice, sending his only son a withering look. Some people noticed one of the masked figures – the one with the stick – start towards the Viking Chief, but the other one held them back with a barely visible shake of his head.

**_She grabs her axe and stomps off. Hiccup watches, stung._**

**_CUT TO: EXT. COVE - MAGIC HOUR_**

**_CLOSE ON_**

**_A fish... being thrown into the cove. It hits the ground and slides. A moment later, Hiccup peeks through a gap in the rock, looking around cautiously. Nothing. Hiccup squeezes through and enters the cove. A BEAT, then Hiccup hears a SNORT from behind him. Hiccup turns to see the Night Fury, crouched on a rock like a stealthy panther. It descends, approaching him... ready to pounce._**

**_Hiccup swallows his fear and offers the fish. Doing so reveals the dagger at his waist. The dragon sees it and hisses. Hiccup reaches for it, eliciting a growl. He pauses, carefully lifts it by the handle, and tosses it away. The dragon calms. As it approaches the fish, Hiccup notices that it's missing teeth._**

The Vikings took note of this and whispered to one another. "Didn't it have teeth before?" "Yeah, I swear it did," "Me too," and such.

**HICCUP**

**Huh. Toothless. I could've sworn you had...**

**_A set of razor sharp teeth emerge from its gums to grab the fish. Toothless snatches and gnashes it up, swallowing it._**

Several people jumped in surprise, and the masked person with a stick seemed to chuckle.

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**... teeth.**

**_The teeth retract again. Toothless presses closer with an expectant look. Hiccup retreats nervously._**

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**Uh, no. No, I don't have any more.**

**_The Fury backs Hiccup against a rock, placing himself the same position as before. The dragon closes in over him, staring blankly. A tense moment passes... then Toothless regurgitates a chunk of fish onto Hiccup's lap. They exchange stares. Hiccup realizes what Toothless wants him to do. Hiccup crouches slowly and squeamishly picks it up. The dragon waits expectantly. Hiccup gags and gnaws off a bite of the slimy fish. He forces a smile. Toothless mimics him._**

There were gasps of surprise. Had that dragon _smiled_? And it was sharing it's food with a human, something no dragon nor Viking had ever seen in their respective lifetimes.

**_Amazed, Hiccup sits up and tries to touch him. Toothless_**

**_HISSES and flaps off to a crash on the other side of the cove. He BLASTS the mossy ground to a red-hot temperature... and curls up on it like a giant dog. He turns to find Hiccup seated beside him. Toothless tolerates his persistent presence... until Hiccup tries to touch his damaged tail. Toothless SNAPS at him. Hiccup takes the hint and leaves_**_._

"Idiot," Eret grumbled, somewhat affectionately. Hiccup was confused to as why he was staring at one of the masked people when he said that. He shrugged it off.

**_DISSOLVE TO: EXT. COVE - LATER_**

**_It's MAGIC HOUR. Toothless wakes, hanging upside down from a tree. He spots Hiccup sitting on the other side of the cove. Sketching in the sand. CLOSE ON a sketch of Toothless. Hiccup draws with a stick, minding his own business. Toothless appears behind him, watching carefully. Aware of his presence, Hiccup continues, trying not to scare him off. Toothless walks off. A moment later, he reappears with an entire sapling, drawing lines in the sand. He rushes here and there, making haphazard lines in every direction. Finally, Toothless drops the tree and inspects his work. He seems pleased. Hiccup stands and takes in the sprawling scribble, amazed by it. He accidentally steps onto one of the lines, eliciting an instant growl from Toothless. He steps on it again. Toothless growls again. Realizing how sensitive he is, Hiccup steps carefully between each line, turning round and round until he unwittingly bumps into Toothless. Toothless snorts. Once again, they're face to face. Hiccup slowly extends his hand. Toothless hesitates. Hiccup turns his head away and closes his eyes. To his amazement, Toothless bridges the gap and presses his muzzle against Hiccup's hand. In a flash, the dragon is gone, leaving Hiccup astounded._**

The crowd was silent for a few moments before exploding with conversation. He had _touched_ a dragon, and had survived to see another day. Stoick stared at the screen in confusion. So far, he had not seen this Night Fury act at all in violence, only in self-defense. Was it possible that they were wrong about dragons this entire time?

No. Dragons had taken and killed his beloved wife; there was no way he could _ever_ forgive them.

**_EXT. VILLAGE - NIGHT_**

**_Gobber and the recruits are seated at the top of an abandoned catapult tower, toasting campfire food around a roaring bonfire._**

**GOBBER**

**...and with one twist he took my hand and swallowed it whole. And I saw the look on his face. (can't deny it) I was delicious. He must have passed the word, because it wasn't a month before another one of them took my leg.**

**FISHLEGS**

**Isn't it weird to think that your hand was inside a dragon? Like if your mind was still in control of it you could have killed the dragon from the inside by crushing his heart or something.**

The crowd gave the blond Viking teen weird looks, and he shuffled uncomfortably in his seat.

**SNOTLOUT**

**I swear I'm so angry right now. I'll avenge your beautiful hand and your beautiful foot. I'll chop off the legs of every dragon I fight, with my face.**

Snorts of laughter. _Yeah, right._

**_He postures to Astrid. She rolls her eyes._**

**GOBBER (with a mouthful)**

**Un-unh. It's the wings and the tails you really want. If it can't fly, it can't get away. A downed dragon is a dead dragon.**

**_ON HICCUP hiding his horrified look form the others_****.**

The crowd was silent. Now that they had seen the majesty and wonder of the Night Fury, did they truly want it to be dead? Some, yes, but others… not so much.

**_Gobber stands and stretches._**

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**

**Alright, I'm off to bed. You should be too. Tomorrow we get into the big boys. Slowly but surely making our way up to the Monstrous Nightmare. (playful, taunting) But who'll win the honor of killing it?**

**_He hobbles off. The teens reflect._**

**TUFFNUT (very matter of fact)**

**It's gonna be me. (BEAT) It's my destiny. See?**

**_Tuffnut rolls up his sleeve to reveal a red dragon on his arm_****.**

**FISHLEGS (GASPS)**

**Your mom let you get a tattoo?**

**TUFFNUT**

**It's not a tattoo. It's a birthmark.**

**RUFFNUT**

**Okay, I've been stuck with you since birth, and that was never there before.**

**TUFFNUT**

**Yes it was. You've just never seen me from the left side until now.**

**SNOTLOUT**

**It wasn't there yesterday. Is it a birthmark or a today-mark?**

"YOU GOT A TATTOO?!" The twin's mother shrieked. Her husband had to physically restrain her from beating the crap out of her son, who cowered behind his sister. Ruffnut rolled her eyes at the idiocy of her twin.

**_Hiccup gets up and walks away from the group. Astrid watches him as he leaves the bonfire._**

**_DISSOLVE TO: INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - MOMENTS LATER_**

**_Hiccup enters a small room at the back of the stall. It's covered in drawings of weaponry and scale models. He lights a candle and lays his sketchbook out on the desk, opening it to the drawing of Toothless. With a look of determination, Hiccup picks up a charcoal stick and re-draws the missing tail._**

**_DISSOLVE TO: INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - LATER_**

**_CLOSE ON a creaking leather bellows. The stone forge glows with every pump. Tongs pull intricate iron pieces from the coals. They're dropped onto the anvil, twisted, lightly hammered, and dunked in a barrel. The pieces are carried to Hiccup's workbench and laid out in place on a one-to-one schematic. It's a sketch of a mechanical fin._**

"You built tha' thing a _tail_?" Gobber asked, astounded. Hiccup nodded slowly. Gobber grinned and gave him a thumb up. "Good craftsmanship, lad!" Stoick glared at his friend.

**_EXT. HIDDEN COVE - DAWN_**

**_Hiccup arrives, winded, straining under the weight of a full basket. He clicks the scale he found (like a jar top). Toothless approaches, sniffing him._**

**HICCUP**

**Hey Toothless. I brought breakfast. I hope you're hungry**.

Stoick resisted the urge to face palm. His son had named a dragon. _Named_ a _dragon_.

_Hiccup drops the basket and kicks it over. Fish spill out._

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**Okay, that's disgusting.**

**_Toothless approaches, settling in to devour the feast._**

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**Uh..we've got some salmon...**

**_Toothless swallows it._**

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**... some nice Icelandic cod...**

**_Swallows those too._**

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**... and a whole smoked eel.**

**_Toothless nabs it, chews a few times, then spits it out. He_**

**_shakes his head violently, snorts and scrubs his massive_**

**_tongue on the sand. Hiccup takes note._**

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**No, no, no! It's okay. Yeah, I don't like eel much either**.

Some of the Vikings stared at the screen thoughtfully. They could start using smoked eels as dragon repellent, they supposed, though the entire island would smell fairly unpleasant. Actually, it never smelled pleasant.

**_Toothless focuses on the remainder. With the dragon_**

**_distracted, Hiccup unwraps his prosthetic fin and opens it_**

**_like a fan_****.**

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**Okay. That's it. That's it, just stick with good stuff. And don't you mind me. I'll just be back...here. Minding my own business.**

**_Hiccup cautiously approaches the injured tail, but every time_**

**_he gets near it, Toothless sweeps it away like a cat._**

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**It's okay.**

**Hiccup drops a knee on top of the tail. Toothless' head juts up, slows its chewing to a halt.**

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**Okay...okay..**

**_The dragon tenses, slowly spreading his wings. Hiccup straps_**

**_the prosthetic fin in place. He cinches the straps._**

The crowd watched in anticipation, some wincing at what they expected to come next.

**HICCUP (CONT'D) (PLEASED)**

**There. Not too bad. It works.**

**_Toothless BOLTS! He snaps his massive wings and takes to the_**

**_air, carrying Hiccup with him_****.**

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**Woah! No! No! No!**

A few Vikings shrieked (not that they'd ever admit to it) as they saw Hiccup dangling from the tail of a dragon.

Seriously, how was this kid still alive?

**_Hiccup struggles to hold on to the tail. As the ground speeds_**

**_away, Toothless immediately TIPS into a uncontrolled bank and_**

**_dive._**

**_Hiccup sees the folded fin rattling uselessly in opposition_**

**_to its flared counterpart. Flap as he may, Toothless can't_**

**_correct his trajectory._**

**_Hiccup swallows his fear and crawls toward the folded_**

**_prosthetic. He reaches it and YANKS it open. The flared, fan-like appendage catches the air, stabilizing the twisting tail._**

**HICCUP (CONT'D) (excited, terrified)**

**It's working!**

**_Toothless arcs just short of the water and climbs... high into the air._**

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**Yes! Yes, I did it.**

**_He glances back at Hiccup, busily holding the tail open while trying to hold on. They're going to crash. Whoomp! Hiccup is suddenly thrown from the tail in the intense force of a turn._**

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**AAAAAGGGGHHHHH!**

**_He bounces across the water's surface and takes a dive._**

**_Without Hiccup to operate the tail, Toothless does the same, plunging in a massive cannonball. Hiccup resurfaces, roughed up, but beaming. Toothless appears seconds later._**

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**Yeah!**

Hiccup prepared himself as all the Vikings on Berk began to ask him questions. The masked person with the strange peg leg shuffled uneasily.

* * *

**Ridley: So let me know how things are going, I'm thinking of writing up an intermission soon so we have a bit more interaction with the characters.**

**Dragon: Because we all know that this is getting boring.**

**Ridley: Dragon, why do you have to be so mean?**

**Dragon: Because you made me up?  
**

**Ridley: Review or the dragon gets it.**

**Dragon: You're never gonna go through with iiii- *sees Ridley patiently holding a hammer* -ttt, review please!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Ridley: Shorter than the last chapter, but my computer has bee having problems uploading files that are long, so sorry :(**

**Dragon: Or she's just too lazy to actually write a long chapter.**

**Ridley: Excuse me? Lazy? I just put out a chapter not even two days ago! Speaking of...**

**Dragon: Ugh, okay. marine1342, Um, do we need to call you an ****exorcist?**

**Ridley: Disclaimer: I do not, repeat, not, own HTTYD or anything affiliated with it.**

* * *

**_EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - MORNING_**

**GOBBER (O.S.)**

**Today is about teamwork. Work together and you might survive.**

The elder Vikings nodded sagely. That was how they had lived so long. Maybe Gobber wasn't that bad of a teacher after all.

**_ON A DOUBLEWIDE DOOR. Gas seeps through the cracks. It BLASTS OPEN. A cloud of smoke engulfs the ring, swirling around the paired-up teens. Astrid with Ruffnut, Snotlout with Tuffnut, and Fishlegs with Hiccup. All carry buckets of water, poised to throw them._**

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**

**Now, a wet dragon head can't light its fire. The Hideous Zippleback is extra tricky. One head breathes gas, the other head lights it. Your job is to know which is which.**

Some of the parents watched nervously.

**_The smoke encircles them, cutting them off from each other. The teens LISTEN and WATCH for any sign of the dragon._**

**FISHLEGS (muttering to himself)**

**Razor sharp, serrated teeth that inject venom for pre-digestion. Prefers ambush attack, crushing its victims in its...**

**HICCUP (TENSE)**

**Will you please stop that?**

The audience let out nervous chuckles, they had been thinking the same thing.

**_ON SNOTLOUT AND TUFFNUT_**

**_Moving nervously through the fog, back to back. Snotlout is singing to himself to calm his nerves._**

He received some odd looks.

"What, I'm not singing, it's a battle cry!" He tried to defend himself, failing miserably.

**SNOTLOUT**

**If that dragon shows either of his faces, I'm gonna-(spotting an approaching shape, terrified)-There! Snotlout and Tuffnut HURL their water into the fog.**

**ASTRID**

**Hey!**

**RUFFNUT**

**It's us, idiots.**

**Astrid and Ruffnut are soaked.**

**TUFFNUT**

**Your butts are getting bigger. We thought you were a dragon.**

**SNOTLOUT (TO ASTRID)**

**Not that there's anything wrong with a dragon-esque figure.**

"There is if we're mistaken for a dragon, moron!" Astrid shouted to him.

Astrid ELBOWS Snotlout in the face. Ruffnut DROPS Tuffnut with a PUNCH to the throat.

**ASTRID**

**Wait.**

**_They FREEZE. A tail SWEEPS out of the fog, taking them down._**

**_Their buckets spill._**

The crowd waited with bated breath.

**_ON FISHLEGS AND HICCUP coming across them. They see the puddles of spilled water._**

**TUFFNUT**

**Oh, I'm hurt. I am very much hurt.**

This line warranted a few chuckles, and Tuffnut grumbled about his bruised ego.

**FISHLEGS**

**Chances of survival are dwindling into single digits now...**

"Do you 'ave to be so _depressin'_?" A male Viking called out. Poor Fishlegs sunk lower in his seat.

**HICCUP**

**Look out!**

**_A Zippleback head emerges out of the smoke. Fishlegs hurls his water at it, completely dousing the head. It leers and opens its mouth, spewing gas into the area._**

**FISHLEGS**

**Oh. Wrong head.**

**_GAS FLOWS around their legs. Fishlegs flees in a panic._**

Fishleg's father groaned at his son.

**GOBBER**

**Fishlegs!**

**_Beat. A clicking sound comes from behind them. Sparks flash in the smoke._**

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**

**Now, Hiccup!**

**_The other head sweeps out of the smoke. Hiccup hurls his water with all his might. It arcs and drops short of the dragon's sparking mouth. The dragon grins, savoring the kill._**

**HICCUP**

**Oh, come on!**

**GOBBER**

**RUN, HICCUP!**

**Gobber COVERS his eyes.**

**GOBBER (CONT'D)**

**Hiccup!**

**_Beat. The Zippleback hesitates. SNIFFS. Then retreats. The teens get to their feet, watching transfixed. Gobber peeks through his fingers to see... The Zippleback backing away from Hiccup. He stands and holds his hands out, as if controlling it._**

The Vikings who had been away, and thus had missed hearing all about Hiccup's accomplishments stared at the screen in rapture. _How _was this boy doing this?

**HICCUP**

**BACK! BACK! BACK! Now don't you make me tell you again!**

**_The Zippleback retreats through its door and into its cave, hissing._**

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**Yes, that's right. Back into your cage.**

**_Hiccup slyly OPENS his vest, revealing the spotted smoked EEL from earlier. He TOSSES it inside the door, then SLAMS it shut._**

They stared at the screen, and then the boy, in shock. What?

"So that's 'ow you did it," Gobber mused, "Impressive."

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**Now think about what you've done.**

**_Hiccup turns to the teens and Gobber. They stare, slack-jawed_**

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**Okay! So are we done? Because I've got some things I need to...**

**_Hiccup jogs out of the ring, past the speechless group._**

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**Yep...see you tomorrow.**

**_Astrid SNEERS. Something's going on._**

**_EXT. WOODS/COVE - SUNSET_**

**_BEGIN MUSIC MONTAGE_**

**_INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - HICCUP'S CLOSET - CONTINUOUS_**

**_Hiccup cuts and stitches leather, draws and shapes steel. He works by candlelight. An overhead shot reveals what he's building: a harness, complete with handles and foot pedals._**

The more the Vikings watched, the more they realized just how _intelligent_ this boy was. He was definitely not the person they thought him to be. Well, not entirely, anyway.

**_EXT. COVE - DAY_**

**_Hiccup appears before Toothless, holding the new prosthetic. Toothless runs off as Hiccup chases him down._**

**HICCUP**

**Hey!**

**_EXT. COVE - DAY_**

**_Toothless and Hiccup are zooming over the ocean. The tail breaks free sending Hiccup flying._**

**HICCUP**

**Yeah! Whoa!**

**_INT. BLAKCSMITH STALL - LATER_**

**_Hiccup adjusts the harness and uses a metal clamp to affix himself to Toothless' saddle._**

**_EXT. SKY/FIELD - DAWN_**

**_Hiccup and Toothless zip through the air - his rudimentary harness and tail controls are working, barely. They crash-land in an open field. Hiccup recovers to find Toothless still rolling around in the tall grass. Hiccup discovers that it's a patch of 'dragon-nip.' Toothless writhes on his back, tongue wagging, in complete bliss._**

All heads turned towards said dragon. Seriously? This was their most lethal enemy amongst the dragons?

**_EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - MORNING_**

**_Hiccup grabs the head as instructed, then discreetly pulls a fistful of 'dragon-nip' and presses it up to the Gronkle's nose. It immediately stops struggling and goes weak in the knees. Hiccup drops the handful of dragon-nip to the ground. The Gronkle goes down with it, whimpering and blissful. From Gobber and the recruits' point of view, Hiccup is controlling the Gronkle with no more than a limp arm._**

**_EXT. WOODS - AFTERNOON_**

**_The recruits walk home together, surrounding Hiccup and BOMBARD HIM WITH QUESTIONS._**

**FISHLEGS**

**Hey Hiccup, I've never seen a Gronkle do that before.**

"Technically, neither had I," Hiccup said with a quiet chuckle.

**TUFFNUT**

**How'd you do that?**

"Dragon nip."

**RUFFNUT**

**It was really cool.**

"Thank you."

**_He squirms and invents an excuse._**

**HICCUP**

**I left my axe back in the ring.**

**_He turns and hurries back._**

**HICCUP (CONT'D)**

**You guys go on ahead and I'll catch up with you.**

**_Astrid watches, suspicious._**

Hiccup faced Astrid.

"Wow," he said in amusement, "you really were watching me like a hawk." Astrid smirked and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Of course," she replied.

**_EXT. COVE - LATER_**

**_Hiccup rubs Toothless behind the ear, causing him to relax and fall over._**

**_EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - LATER_**

**_An angry Deadly Nadder approaches Hiccup. Just as Astrid moves in to strike, Hiccup performs his special rubbing technique, which sends the Nadder down. Astrid and the other kids look on from the sideline in amazement._**

**_INT. MEADE HALL - CONTINUOUS_**

**_Hiccup sits down at a table to eat. The other recruits notice him and move over to his table to talk to him – leaving Astrid alone._**

Hiccup gave her a shrug and a sheepish smile, to which she rolled her eyes.

**FISHLEGS**

**Hey Hiccup!**

**SNOTLOUT**

**What was that? Some kind of trick? What did you do?**

**TUFFNUT**

**Hiccup, you're totally going to come in first, there's no question.**

**EXT. COVE - LATER**

**Hiccup is using a mirror-like object to create a patch of light on the ground. Toothless claws and chases the light patch like a cat chasing a laser pointer.**

**EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - DAY**

**A beam lifts from the door of another dragon pen.**

**GOBBER**

**Meet the Terrible Terror.**

**A tiny, pint-sized dragon steps out and moves toward the recruits.**

**TUFFNUT**

**Ha. It's like the size of my-**

**Tuffnut is taken down in a blur.**

**TUFFNUT (CONT'D)**

**Get it off! Get it off! Oh! I'm hurt, I am very much hurt!**

**Hiccup stops the Terrible Terror with the same light-patch trick he used earlier with Toothless. The tiny dragon retreats back to its cage. The teens approach him yet again as Astrid looks on with suspicion.**

**TUFFNUT (CONT'D) (TO ASTRID)**

**Wow, he's better than you ever were.**

"No, not really," Hiccup said quietly to her, rubbing the back of his neck absently. "You have skill, I just learned some tricks." Astrid smiled lightly.

"Oh, Hiccup, you were so wonderful," Valka said softly to her son. She wished they could just take off the masks already, but she knew they would have to wait. Stoick just wouldn't understand _why_ she had stayed where she did.

Hiccup nodded at his mother. "Thanks, mom," he whispered. He turned to look at Eret, who was so incredibly bored. "Y'know, you can go mingle," he said. Eret scoffed at him.

"Eret, son of Eret, does not-"

"Yeah, yeah, buddy, go make some friends before your head implodes or something.

* * *

**Ridley: Aw, mommy/son fluff!**

**Dragon: Ew.**

**Ridley: I hate you. Please review!**


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